The scene is set for the French Open Final 2021 – Djokovic vs Tsitsipas. Who do you think will win?
Djokovic won a magnificent battle against Nadal in the semi-finals and they played one of the best sets of all time in the third set. Djokovic won the set and the match in 4 sets. He climbed the “Everest” of tennis, beating Nadal at the French Open and as the world number one, he is the obvious favorite for the French Open Final 2021. However, Tsitsipas has been very strong during this year’s clay-court season and he did make it tough when they met in last year’s semi-final. But Djokovic won 6-1 in the fifth. How big of a favorite is the world number one in the Djokovic vs Tsitsipas final?
Djokovic has actually won the four most recent matches between them and leads their head-to-head 5-2. However, Tsitsipas is only 22 years old (feels like he has been around for a long time!) and has been improving pretty steadily. Can he defeat Djokovic in his first grand slam final? It’s possible, but it’s clear that Djokovic is the favorite at 1.30 the odds on average. A bet on Tsitsipas gives the punter around 3.75 their money, which shows that most bookies believe this will be Djokovic’s 19th Grand Slam title. If he wins tomorrow, he will only be one title behind Rafa and Roger and all signs then point to him owning the Grand Slam record at some point.
What can Tsitsipas do?
If the Djokovic that played against Nadal shows up, Tsitsipas will likely lose. But you can’t be sure what game he will bring. Sometimes you’re sharp and sometimes you’re not.
Tsitsipas is actually his best on clay, which is counterintuitive for a player that likes to attack. On the other hand, Djokovic is, together with Rafa, the best defensive player of all time. But if Tsitsipas can start strong and build some belief, he has a good chance to win in my opinion. No matter how impressive the three GOATs are, I think it would be refreshing to see a new Grand Slam winner. It might be what the sport needs. On the other, no other players sell tennis as well as Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.
Tsitsipas needs to attack confidently and keep coming at Djokovic. If he starts getting stuck in long baseline rallies, it’s a bad sign for him. He needs to stay on his feet and take the game to Djokovic. If Djokovic can get into a confident rhythm, it will be a tough one for Tsitsipas.
What do you think of the French Open Final 2021?
Ps. Huge congrats to Barbora Krejcikova who won the Women’s final today! Ds.
